Brandon Lake – Count’em

Brandon Lake is an American worship leader who formerly served at Bethel Music and Maverick City Music.  He released five albums and one EP, including:

• Closer (2016)
• House of Miracles (2020)
• House of Miracles (Live) (2021)
• Almond Eyes (EP, 2021)
• Help! (2022)
• Coat of Many Colors (2023)

He won 21 awards during his prestigious career.

Check out my other Brandon Lake reviews.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.  I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.

1. What message does the song communicate?

This song contains two moods: one is a laundry list of God’s attributes/acts and the other is a series of rhetorical questions in Bridge that all contain the same response: the number of miracles/touched lives/saved by Jesus are countless.

Acts/Attributes of God:

• Voice is booming
• Eyes are lit aflame
• Power in His blood
• Resurrected Himself and others
• Strong
• His Word is powerful
• Lord
• Holy
• Healer
• Victorious
• Worshipped

My only minor criticism is that there is no call to action.  What are Christians to do in response to an awesome God?  Many will perhaps naturally turn to worship, but it would be great if Lake gave us some direction.

Score: 9/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The entire song.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Intro]

Oh-oh-oh, oh

Several shout-outs to Casper the friendly ghost.

Oh-oh-oh, oh

Repeats line 1.

[Verse 1]

You got thunder in Your vocal, You got flames in Your eyes

Combines Job 27:2 with Revelation 19:12.

You got wonder-working power pouring out of Your side

References the blood that is mixed with water that came out of Jesus’ side that indicated he was dead (John 19:33-34), as well as Lewis Ellis Jones’ famous hymn Power in the Blood.

Checked the tomb all the way through, the grave was empty inside

As written in Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20:1-10.

Ain’t no other pull the greatest miracle of all time

There have been other resurrections, but none like God who died and came back to life (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

You got power, demons cower when they hear Your name called

They believe in Jesus, but shutter when they hear His name (James 2:19).

You got power that still towers, make Goliath look small

Goliath is mentioned in 1 Samuel 17:1-58.  While he is strong, Jesus’ power is greater.

You got power to devour any counterfeit roar

References the roaring lion of Satan (1 Peter 5:8).

Even Your tongue is a sword, count up the score

The Word of God can be compared to a sharp sword (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12).

[Chorus]

You are the Lord, holy

Jesus is Lord (1 Timothy 6:15 and Revelation 19:16) and holy (Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34, Acts 3:14, Acts 4:27-30, 1 John 2:20, Hebrews 7:26, and Revelation 4:8).

You arе the Lord, holy
You are the Lord, holy
You arе the Lord, holy

Repeats line 1.

[Verse 2]

All those funerals You ruined when You made the dead rise

How dare Jesus, messing up a perfectly good funeral!  All those people, weeping and wailing are forced, FORCED I tell you, to cry tears of joy when their loved ones are returned to them (Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7:11-17, Luke 8:40-56, and John 11:38-44).  What does He expect them to do with the food afterwords, enjoy it with the resurrected?

Heaven’s Healer, using spit and mud to open blind eyes

References John 9:6-12.

You got wonders I can’t number, couldn’t count if I tried

Most likely a reference to John 21:25.

Called the doctor and the doctor said I’m given new life

Jesus is the Great Physician (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, and Luke 5:31).  The Doctor said that Lake is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Tell your enemies the victory is already here
More than sixty thousand angels, just a tip of the spear

References Matthew 26:53.  However, 12 leagues is 72,000 angels.  Though I suppose that is technically still more than 60,000.  So I’ll let this slide.

One day, every knee will bow and every heart will be Yours
This is the end of a war, count up the score

They will confess Jesus as Lord (Isaiah 45:43, Romans 14:11, and Philippians 2:10-11).

[Bridge]

How many enemies ended on bended knees
Swallowed up in defeat? Can’t count ’em

See the last two lines of Verse 2.

How many raging seas opened in front of me?
How many victories? Can’t count ’em

Though there are five times that God caused the seas to part, the underlying conclusion is that, at least in the case of the crossing of the Red Sea, this was part of a victory over an enemy.  How many times was Jesus victorious over His enemies?  Can’t count ’em.

How many prophecies no one would dare believe
Now it’s reality? Can’t count ’em

Not a reference to all the prophecies in Scripture, but all the countless prophecies that were told by His people that are not recorded.

How many broken men given a second chance
See all the lifted hands? Can’t count ’em

That is, the countless multitude (Revelation 7:9).

How many Thomas’s doubting Your promises
Standing here now convinced? Can’t count ’em

References John 20:24-28.  Present company included.

How many hospitals said it’s impossible?
How many miracles? Can’t count ’em

References anecdotal evidence from all the hospitals in the world where Jesus performed a miracle with or without human effort.

How many paralyzed livin’ a different life?
Go on and testify, can’t count ’em

There are many more like the paralytic in Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26, and John 5:8-9 that have been healed.

How many sinners saved, how many bodies raised
How many empty graves? Can’t count ’em

See lines 7 and 8.

Woah-oh-oh, oh
Woah-oh-oh, oh

Indeed, whoa is the correct response.  Though it sounds more ghostly than awestruck.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Despite its heavy reliance on Christianese language, all the Scriptural references that I laid out in section 2, unbelievers should be familiar with.  The empty grave and power out of His side should be the dead giveaways that Lake sings about Jesus.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Jesus as the miracle worker whose blood is wonder-working, strength is unmatched, and victory is unparalleled.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Brandon Lake’s Count’em is excellent.  It calls Christians to remember that Jesus is Lord, whose holiness is beyond measure, shed blood saves those who are His, and might is realized over and over again through countless miracles.  These points bring Him glory.  Unbelievers should be able to piece together a similar conclusion with relatively low effort.

I dinged it slightly because the song doesn’t contain a call to action for believers.  Still, that shouldn’t prevent this song from its place in corporate worship.  Especially when its language is richer than almost everything else I’ve reviewed.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Count’em (listen to the song)

Artist: Brandon Lake

Album: Coat of Many Colors

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2023

Duration: 3:48

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2023 Songs By That Dog Will Hunt (BMI) Capitol CMG Paragon (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com), Just When Publishing (SESAC) / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) / Brandon Lake Music (ASCAP) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

05/23/2024 – Corrected Brandon Lake’s status with Bethel and Maverick.  Thanks to Derek for pointing this out!